$500,000 In guitars, watches stolen in West Palm

A man accused of stealing more than $500,000 worth of collectible guitars, rare watches, and firearms from a West Palm Beach home is now facing charges.

Nicholas Gambardella, 32, was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail Monday for charges he burglarized a home and stole 36 guitars in 2016.

A housekeeper noticed the home near the 250 block of Rilyn Drive was broken into on March 17, 2016, after finding shutters and a window screen to the house knocked down, according to a West Palm Beach Police arrest report.

The homeowner, who resides in North Carolina, realized his collection of guitars, watches, and firearms was missing. Records state the collection is valued at more than $500,000.

Investigators found over 36 of the stolen guitars advertised for sale at a guitar shop in Broward County. The shop owner said he met with Gambardella and another man in Delray Beach in March and April 2016 when he arranged to pay them nearly $30,000 for the guitars.

Gambardella told the shop owner he received the guitars as inheritance from his uncle who recently passed away, the report states.

Officers say the home was burglarized at least four times.

Court records show a warrant for Gambardella's arrest was issued on June 8, 2016. He was being held at the Broward County Jail on unrelated drug and grand theft charges.

He was sentenced to five years in prison for the Broward County case in March and was brought to Palm Beach County from a correctional facility in Miami-Dade County to face the new charges related to the guitars, watches and firearms.